escapeVektor review – retro circuit

The argument that graphics are more important than gameplay is one of the oldest in gaming, which is surprising given that a quick glimpse at the best-selling games of all-time shows that almost none of them relied on their visuals to get them there. And yet we do worry when reviewing lesser known titles that screenshots such as the one above are going to put people off, despite the game itself being very good.

While you’re actually playing it escapeVektor actually looks very stylish, with its minimalist visuals and electronica soundtrack implying you’re fighting your way through a 2D Tron-like world. According to the story this is essentially exactly what’s going, as you play a piece of code called Vektor, as he (it?) tries to escape from what looks like the circuit diagram from hell.

We’re actually a little unclear as to when this game came out – whether it was last week or last month – but a version of it was originally released as WiiWare back in 2011. It then appeared on the 3DS eShop in December, and now finally on the PS Vita’s PlayStation Store. It’s the work of Aussie developer Nnooo and is very obviously influenced by golden age coin-ops Pac-Man and Qix.

Since those are two of our favourite arcade games we were immediately sold on the concept, which true to its inspirations involves far simpler mechanics than it might at first seem. Vektor’s goal in each level is to border all the ‘cells’ by drawing a complete square around them. Once they’re all claimed an exit will then open to the next stage.

Vektor can only move in straight lines, along the grid system that each level is composed of. As you do so the line is filled in behind you, allowing you to draw the squares necessary.

Naturally your antics do not go unopposed, either from mobile enemies or the shifting nature of the grid itself. In response you gain an increasing number of new abilities to defend yourself, starting with a bomb you detonate whenever you choose. This is gradually upgraded to include more bombs with a larger blast radius, although any squares caught in the explosion will also be affected.

You also have a speed boost that can be used alone, or combined with the bombs to even more destructive effect. Rather than having a finite supply of each both power-ups are recharged by your actions in the rest of the game – with the speed boost recharging when you fill in a line and a new bomb appearing every time you complete a square.

The interaction between all the different systems results in a game with a surprising amount of depth, allowing you to tackle each of the more than 100 levels with surprising freedom. An equally surprising negative though are the story elements, which add nothing to the experience and really should have just been left out entirely.

Instead it’s the online leaderboards that lend a more interesting context to the action, although given the complexity and difficulty of the later levels the chances of charting highly quickly begins to dwindle. We’d almost say there are too many stages, and that maybe they should’ve been larger but fewer, but that probably wouldn’t have worked – especially on a portable format.

Either way escapeVektor lacks that vital spark that would’ve made it a real classic, and yet it’s still one of the better PS Vita (and 3DS) downloads of recent months. You could argue PS Vita owners in particular can’t afford to be picky at the moment, but this would still be worth the download no matter the state of the console’s release schedule.

In Short: A clever mix of Pac-Man and Qix, together with retro modern presentation and an addictive high score challenge.

Pros: Deceptively simple rules and a well-balanced set of special abilities. Online leaderboards encourage replays. Attractive visuals and music.

Cons: The story quickly becomes an irritation, as repetition and a steep difficultly curve take the edge off the game’s early promise.